Superheat regulator



y 1934- I w. H. ARMACOST 1,959,335

SUPERHEAT REGULATOR Filed May 11,'l933 .INVENTOR wuau H.6WWM60ST ATTORNEY Patented May 22, 1934 SUPERHEAT REGULATOR Wilbur H. Armacost, New York, N. Y., assignor to The superheater Company, New York, N. Y.

Application May 11, 1933, Serial No. 670,405

4 Claims. (01. 122-479) This invention relates to superheaters and means for maintaining the temperature delivered by them constant. One way in which this can be done and one used at times heretofore is to inject a regulated amount of water into the superheater steam somewhere between the superheater outlet and the point of use. My invention applies to this known method and provides an improved means for introducing and atomizing the water that is injected.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 shows a longitudinal section of a water tube boiler and superheater with my invention applied, and Fig. 2 shows a detail on an enlarged scale.

The boiler used for illustrative purposes is of the so-called horizontal water tube type in which steam generated in the two banks of tubes 1 and 2 is delivered to the steam and water drum 3. The superheater 4 receives its steam from the steam and water drum 3 by means of the pipe 5 which delivers it to the inlet or saturated steam header 6. After being superheated in the superheater, the steam is delivered to the outlet or superheated steam header 7, whence it is delivered to the pipe 8 which conveys it to the point of use. The arrangement to which my invention applies contemplates injecting water at some point between the outlet ends of the superheater elements and the point of use of the steam. In the particular form illustrated the point selected is the elbow 9 between the outlet header '7 and pipe 8.

In devices of this sort as used heretofore, the water was delivered into the stream of steam under pressure created by some forcing means such as a pump. It is preferably atomized so that the danger of large unevaporated slugs of water being carried along by the superheated steam without being evaporated is minimized.

The nozzle 10 is of any type which thoroughly atomizes water delivered to it by pipe ll, such nozzles being commercially available. In order to eifect such atomization steam is employed, which is admitted through a pipe 12. In accordance with my invention this steam is taken from the steam space in the steam and water drum 3 of the boiler, the necessary pressure difference between this steam and the steam in the elbow 9 being created by the unavoidable drop of pressure occasioned by frictional resistance offered to the flow of the steam through the superheater 6. This pressure difference is of the order of fifteen or twenty pounds and is ample to cause a vigorous flow of steam through the pipe 12, sufficient to cause thorough atomization of the water.

The amount of water is preferably automatically regu1ated.- A valve 13 in water supply pipe 11 controls the rate of flow of the water, the extent to which the valve is open being regulated in re-' sponse to the temperature of the thermostatic element exposed to the temperature of the steam. Preferably the portion 14 of the thermostatic element exposed to the temperature is placed in the pipe 8, and this at a point where the atomized water has become evaporated. It may, however, if desired, be arranged at some other point, as for instance in the header 7 or at a point between it and the atomizer 10.

It will be clear that the invention is applicable to somewhat different situations, all that is essential being that there is a lower pressure at the point where the water is to be injected than exists in the boiler drum. Thus, it is not necessary that the water be injected at the specific point stated above. In the case of a superheater made up of more than one section with the flow in sequence through the several sections, the injection may be made at some inter-section point.

The pressure drop through the first section or sections would then create the necessary head for the steam to atomize the water.

What I claim is:

1. In apparatus of the class described and in combination, a boiler, a superheater having an inlet and an outlet, a steam connection from the boiler to the superheater inlet, piping to carry steam away from the superheater outlet, a. water atomizer connected to deliver into the superheated steam, means to supply water to the atomizer, and a connection from the boiler steam space I to the atomizer to supply atomizing steam.

2. In apparatus of the class described and in combination, a boiler, a superheater having an inlet and an outlet, a steam connection from the boiler to the superheater inlet, piping to carry the superheated steam away from the superheater outlet, a water atomizer connected to deliver into the steam current after the steam has been superheated to at least a part of its final temperature, means to supply water to the atomizer, and a connection from the boiler steam space to the atomizer to supply atomizing steam.

3. Apparatus in accordance with claim. 1, and in addition to what is there specified also including means for automatically regulating the amount of water in response to the temperature of the superheated steam.

4. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, and in addition to what is there specified also including means for automatically regulating the amount of water responsively to the temperature of the superheated steam at a point where all the atomized water has become evaporated.

WILBUR H. ARMACOST. 

